American Airlines turned a plane around before takeoff in Miami last week and removed a passenger who insisted on wearing a face mask with an anti-police message that included the F-word.
Passenger Arlinda Johns, known in South Florida as an activist, was removed from a July 29 flight from Miami to St. Louis after repeatedly being asked to take off a face mask with the phrase “F***-12\u2033 printed on it, according to Miami ABC affiliate Local10. The mask included the F-word spelled out.
According to the report, Johns initially agreed to take off the mask to get on board the plane. She then put it back on and was confronted by a flight attendant after the plane pulled back from the gate.
When the plane returned to the terminal, she was escorted off and had to rent a car to get to her final destination in Illinois, she said.
“F***-12\u2033 has become a common phrase chanted during recent Black Lives Matter protests. The 12 refers to police officers, in particular drug units.
She was also wearing a Black Lives Matter shirt, she said.
Johns, who identified herself as a disabled veteran, said she was removed from the flight not because of her mask, but because she is Black.
“I am an abolitionist,” Johns told the Miami TV station. “I believe that we need to defund and abolish the police.”
American Airlines said Johns was removed after not following crew member instructions.
“The customer was offered an alternate face covering, and although initially complying, it was reported that they later continued to display the offensive language,” said spokeswoman Laura Masvidal. ”After arriving at the gate, the customer was asked to deplane.”
American said it offered Johns a refund for the unused portion of her flight.
The Fort Worth-based airline offers very few specifics about how customers can dress in its official rules. Masks have been required since late May for passengers. The company’s rules of carriage says “Dress appropriately; bare feet or offensive clothing aren’t allowed.”
American has come under scrutiny in the past for asking customers to change clothing with the F-word printed on it or asking customers to leave a flight before takeoff. American has also been criticized for asking customers to remove clothing deemed by staff members to be too revealing.
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